2001 – Craig Cullinan, the last surviving member of the four men who brought Major League Baseball to Houston, is honored at the annual Houston Baseball Dinner. Jeff Bagwell is also there to pick up his 2000 Astros Most Valuable Player Award.
1999 – Boston Red Sox outfielder Midre Cummings has his arbitration case heard by Elizabeth Neumeier. It is the first arbitration case in MLB history to be decided by a female arbitrator. Since the arbitration rule went into effect in 1974, all 409 cases have been decided by men.
1993 – A trio of arbitration cases are avoided when three starters are inked to similar three-year deals. Infielders Craig Biggio and Ken Caminiti, along with outfielder Steve Finley now represent a $32 million dollar investment to go with the $36 million spent on deals for pitchers Doug Drabek and Greg Swindell – a pay-out unlikely to have happened before the recent change in ownership.
1991 – Boston Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens signs a four-year $21,521,000 contract extension, making him baseball’s highest-paid player.
1984 – After losing Type A free agent Tom Underwood to the Orioles, Oakland grabs pitcher Tim Belcher from the Yankees as compensation. The number-one selection in the June 1983 draft, Belcher did not sign with Minnesota and was available in the January draft. The Yankees signed him on February 2nd, only to lose him because they had already submitted their list of 26 protected players, a blunder which will cost general manager Murray Cook his job.
1983 – One day after taking a job as director of sports promotions for the Claridge Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, Mickey Mantle is ordered to sever his ties with Major League Baseball by Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Mantle joins fellow Hall of Famer Willie Mays as players banned from baseball by Kuhn for involvement with legalized gambling.
1978 – The Milwaukee Brewers purchase slugger Gorman Thomas from the Texas Rangers. He will blossom as a hitter in his second tour of duty with the Brew Crew.
1973 – MLB owners announce that “early bird” spring training camps are canceled until all bargaining with the Players’ Association is concluded.
Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard win election to the Hall of Fame through the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues
1968 – The Cincinnati Reds trade catcher Johnny Edwards to the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Jimy Williams and catcher Pat Corrales, both future major league skippers.
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